Romanian automaker Dacia, part of the French Renault Group, has unveiled a new electric vehicle prototype called the Hipster Concept, which has been developed specifically to compete with low-cost EVs from China.
Although the Hipster is still just a concept car at this stage, its production intent is clear. It is expected to have a starting price of under €15,000 (approximately 567,000 THB).
The Dacia Hipster measures just 3 meters in length, 1.55 meters in width, and 1.54 meters in height — even smaller than a Japanese kei car. Only micro-sized vehicles like the Citroën Ami are smaller. Dacia describes the Hipster’s design as “a block firmly planted on four wheels at the corners.” Its exterior resembles a scaled-down mix of a Jeep and a Land Rover Defender, with a short front end, upright nose, and almost no overhangs. The body is painted in a single color with three colorful protective claddings made partly from recycled materials. To further cut costs, straps are used instead of conventional door handles.
Despite its small size, the Hipster offers 70 liters of cargo space at the rear, expandable to 500 liters when the rear seats are folded down. Inside, it features the brand’s “You Clip” system, which provides up to 11 mounting points for accessories such as cupholders, armrests, lights, and more. The cabin also comes equipped with a digital instrument cluster, a futuristic steering wheel, and dual front airbags. The vehicle weighs just 800 kg, making it about 20% lighter than the Dacia Spring. Thanks to this lightweight approach, Dacia aims to halve the car’s overall carbon footprint compared to conventional EVs.
Although Dacia has not yet revealed the battery capacity or motor output, the company has hinted that the Hipster’s range is designed to match real-world driving needs rather than marketing figures. Research shows that 94% of drivers in France travel less than 40 km per day, or about 280 km per week. As a result, the Hipster is engineered to handle everyday routines with just two charges per week, suggesting a driving range of around 93 km per charge.
Source: Carscoops
